Subject-Verb Agreement

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What is subject-verb agreement?

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Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

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When should a singular verb be used?

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A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

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When should a plural verb be used?

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A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

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What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'and'?

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When two subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb.

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What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb should agree with the subject closest to the verb.

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How does the presence of collective nouns affect subject-verb agreement?

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Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individuals.

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What is an example of a subject that takes a singular verb despite being plural in form?

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The word 'news' is an example; it is treated as singular and takes a singular verb (e.g., 'The news is good').

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What is the subject-verb agreement rule for indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', and 'each' are considered singular and take singular verbs.

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How do titles of books, movies, and other works affect subject-verb agreement?

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Titles of works are treated as singular, even if they are plural in form (e.g., 'The Beatles is a famous band').

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What is the subject-verb agreement rule for amounts of money or time?

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Amounts of money or time are usually treated as singular (e.g., 'Five dollars is a lot of money').